Fish-trap.



PATENTED APR. 21, 1908.

N. A. AKERMAN.

FISH TRAP.

APPLIoATIoN FILED JULY 2v. 1907.

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110.385,311. PATENTED M1121, 1908. N. A. AKBRMAN. FISH TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2v. 1907.

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W/TNESSES.

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PATENTED APR. 21, 190s. N. A. AKBRMAN.

FISH TRAP.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 27. 1907.

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/NVENTORZ M Q, QWYMM/ WITNESSES NILS AUGUST AKERMAN, OF ASTORIA, OREGON.

FISH-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 21, 1908.

Application filed July 27, 1907. Serial No. 385,932.

To all .whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NiLs AUGUsr AKER- MAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Astoria, in the county of Olatsop and State ofOregon, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fish-Traps, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had -to theaccompanying drawings as constituting a part thereof.

This invention has for its object to incorporate certain novel featuresin the construction of a fish trap, whereby to attract the fish into thetrap, and also to enable the custodian of the trap to look within thesame to see whether or not fish have been caught, without the labor oflifting the trap for the purpose of such inspection.

I accomplish my ob 'ect b y the devices and combinations illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a float supporting a fish trapembodying my invention; Fig. 2 represents in its upper portion a sideelevation of my trap, lowered into the water; and the lower portion ofthis ligure shows a longitudinal central section of the casing of thetrap, and of the contrivance which I term the inspector tube; Fig. 3 isan end elevation of the inlet end of my trap; Fig. 4 is a cross sectiontaken on aline -w of Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section ofthe inspector tube of my trap, sl'iowing the mirror in the bottom endthereof.

Referring now to the letters as designating the parts described: my trapmay, of course, be suspended from a f'Lved support or a float.` As shownin the drawings my trap is suspended from a raft or float, comprisingside timbers a, a and end timbers b, b, and the frame so built issupported by a plurality of buoys c. To the frame of the float arebolted dependent frame-members d, d, which serve as a means for holdingthe trap in place, and also serve as guides, while lifting and loweringthe trap. Said frame-members d, hereafter called guide-members, arebraced by means of braces c, e, f, f. The buoys c may consist of goodsized closed, empty casks or barrels, secured in place by any convenientmeans. A

The tra consists of a cylindrical casing g, having a Xed to its interiorwalls, near the center, (see Fig. 4) radial members h, the inner ends ofwhich are bolted to concentric rings i, To the inner ring is fastened,by any convenient means, a vertical mirror 7c,

(see Fig. 2); and to the outer ring i are fastened the strands Z,supporting the flaring inner portion m of the` funnel-shaped net fm,which closes the inlet end of the casing g, and the girth or contractedportion of which net is encompassed by a ring m2. The outer end of thenet m is fastened to a ring ln., secured within the entrance of thecasing g.

The mirror c is so supported as to bring its face immediately in frontof the contracted inlet (m2) of the net m, (compare Figs. 2, 3, and 4)so as to reflect a moving image of the fish, as he approaches saidinlet, and thereby lure him inside of the trap.

A screen or fender of netting, w, fastened to a [lange-rim w',projecting from the ring protects the mirror lr from injury by blows offish, swimming against the mirror, in seeking ingress into the body ofthe trap. The fish finding the reflected passage-way through the mirrorblocked by the net w, and the space between the rings j, i, beingnarrow, it

`will enter the body of the trap through the spaces m3 between thestrands l. The fish can readily pass from the outer end to the inner endof the trap between the radial arms 7L.

Once having gotten into the body of the trap, the fish cannot readilyreturn; for the mirror 7u would impose a dark deterent object in frontof the contracted opening of the net fm; and there would be nothing toaid the 'fish to retrace its way between the net strands l, and soescape. The trap-casing g is provided with a hinged trap-door g to giveaccess to the interior. To the inner end of the casing g are affixedbars of angle-iron o, 0 constituting a ta )ering or cone-shaped frame,which is inclosed by a netting p. To the exterior at both ends of thecasing g are affixed curved angle-iron segments g2, so positioned as toslide against the guide members (l, and hold the trap againstlongitudinal movement or displacement, while being lifted and lowered.

On the fore and aft ends of the 'float are affixed upright frames q, q',respectively pro vided with Winches, on the drums of which wind the endsof ro es s, fastened to the ends of the trap, and t ius providing meansfor lifting and lowering the trap.

To the fore and aft ends of the trap are further afhxed weights t, tocause the trap to sink in the water when lowered, and also to steady thesame. The raft is moored or anchored in place as convenient.

The frame-members 0, o2 of the projecting llO cone-shaped frame',afiixed to the fore end of the casing g, are so arranged as to support avertical casing u, being the inspector tube. The latter is closed at thebottom end to exclude the water and has near the bottom a window springcovered with a pane of glass ed, and also has a support o, .on which ispivoted a mirror o, controllable from the float by working cords o2, theupper ends of which extend through openings v3 in the upper end of theinspector tube, and are secured to retaining bars v4. The purpose of myinspector tube is to enable the custodian of the trap to so manipulatethe mirror v as to look into the iish trap and see whether the same hascaught sufficient fish to make it worth while to lift the trap; and thussave the labor of lifting the trap unnecessarily.

To apply my described trap to a fixed support instead of a float is sosimple a matter as not to require description.

1 claim:

l. A fish-trap comprising a support, a tubular casing horizontallysuspended therefrom, means by which to raise and lower the casing, anet-inclosed extension projecting from the inner end of the casing, anet-closure at the inlet end 'of the casing, said net having a centralopening constituting the entrance into the body of the trap', a mirrorsupported transversely in front of said central opening, a net fender orscreen arranged in front of said mirror to protect the same from injury,an inspector-tube extending from the support down into said net-inclosedextension, the bottom end of the inspector-tube being closed, aglass-covered window in the lower end of the inspector-tube facing theinner end of the casing, a mirror pivotally supported within the bottomend of said inspector-tube in line with the window thereof, and meansoperable from the support `to adjust the mirror as desired. I

2. In a fish-trap, the combination of a float and a tubular horizontallysupported trapbody suspended therefrom, an inspectortube extending fromthe support down in front of the inner end of the trap-body, the bottomend of said inspector-tube being closed, a glass-covered window in thelower end of the inspector-tube facing the inner end of the trap, amirror pivotally supported within said ins ector-tube in line with thewindow thereo and means operable from the su port to adjust the mirroras desired.

3. n a fish-trap, the combination of a float and a tubular horizontallysupported trapbody suspended therefrom, an inspector-tube extending fromthe support down in front of the inner end of the trap-body, the bottomend of said inspector-tube being closed, a glass-covered window in thelower end of the inspector-tube facing the inner end of the trap, amirror pivotally supported within said inspector-tube in line with thewindow thereof, cordsfastened to the upper and lowerJ ends of the mirrorapertures therefor provided in the upper end of said inspector-tube, andretaining bars secured to the ends of said cords.

4. kIn a fish-trap, the combination of a horizontal tubular trap-body,transverse raf dial arms aflixed interiorly thereof, a funnelshaped netfastened vto the, inlet end of said trap-body, and having a smallopening constituting the entrance into the trap, a mirror supported toface the entrance.

5. In a fish-trap, the combination of a horizontal tubular trap-body,transverse radial arms affixed interiorly thereof, a funnelshaped netfastened to the inlet end of said trap-body, and having a small openingconstituting the entrance into the trap, flaring annular net portionsencompassing and extending inward from said opening, -strands connectinsaid inner ilaring net portion to said radia arms leaving spaces betweenthe strands, a mirror supported to face the entrance.

6. 1n a fish-trap, the combination of a horizontal tubular trap body,transverse radial arms amxed interiorly thereof, a funnel-shaped netfastened to the inlet end of said trap-body, and having a small openingconstituting the entrance into the trap, ilaring annular net ortionsencompassing and extending inwar( from said opening, strands connectinsaid inner flaring net portion to said radia arms leaving spaces betweenthe strands, a mirror supported to face the en-` trance, a fenderarranged in front of the mirror to protect the same from injury.

7. In a fish-trap, the combination of a horizontally supported trap-body, radial arms aiiixed interiorly thereof, concentric ringssupported by said radial arms leaving a large space between the outer ofsaid rings and the wall of the body, a funnel-shaped net fastened to andconstituting a closure for the inlet end of the body and having acontracted central opening, a girth inclosing such oo ntracted opening,a iiaring annular net connected to the girth encompassing the contractedopening and extending inward therefrom, strands connecting said innerflaring net to said radial arms leaving spaces between the strands, amirror supported by the radial arms in front of said contracted opening,a fender arranged in front of the mirror to protect the same frominjury.

8. 1n a fish-trap, the combination of a horizontally supported trap-body, radial arms affixed interiorly thereof, concentric ringssupported by said radial arms leaving a. large s ace between the outerof said rings and the wa l of the body, a funnel-shaped net fastened toand constituting a closure for the inlet end of the body and having acontracted central opening, a girth inclosing such contracted opening, aflaring annular net connected to the girth encompassing the contractedopening and extending inward therefrom, strands connecting said inner`flaring net to said radial arms leaving spaces between the strands, amirror supported by the `radial arms in front of said contractedopening, a Jfender arranged 1n front of the mirrorv to protect the samefrom injury, a trap-door arranged to giveaccess to the body of the trap.

9. A {ish-trap comprising a float, a guide frame supported thereby,atubular horizontal trap-body between the guide-members, means on saidtrap-body engaging with said guide-frame and arranged to hold theJformer against longitudinal movement, an upright frame supported by thefloat, a winch and cables connected thereto supporting the trapbody, avertical ins ector-tube at the inner end of the trap-bony extendingabove the float, the bottom end of such tubebeing closed, aglass-covered window near the bottom end of the inspector-tube, a mirrorpivoted within the tube in line with the window, and means operable fromthe float to adjust the mirror as desired.

10. A fish-trap comprising a float, a guide frame supported thereby, atubular horizontal trap-body between the guide members, means on saidtrap-body engaging with said guide-frame and arranged to hold the'former against longitudinal movement, an upright 'frame supported bythe lloat, Winches on the last mentioned 'frame and cables connectedthereto supporting the trap -body, radial arms arlixed interiorly thelatter, concentric rings supported by said radial arms, leaving a largespace between the outer of said rings and the wall of the body, a'funnel-shaped net 'fastened to and constituting a closure -for theinlet-end of the trap-body, and having a contracted central opening, agirth inclosing such contracted opening, a flaring annular net,connected to the girth, encompassing the contracted opening andextending inward therefrom, strands connecting said inner flaring net tosaid radial arms leaving spaces between the strands, a mirror supportedby the radial arms in `front of said contracted opening, a fenderarranged in front of the mirror to protect the same from injury, anet-inclosed extension projecting `from the inner end of the trap-body,an inspector-tube extending down 'from the float into said netinclosedextension, the bottom end of the inspector-tube being closed, aglass-covered window in the lower end of the inspectortube facing theinner end of the trap-body, a mirror ivotally supported within thebottom end) of said inspector-tube in line with the window thereof, andmeans operable from the lloat to adjust the mirror as desired.

N l.lib AUGUST AKERMAN.

' vWitnesses:

JOHN WATERHoUsE, A. M. SMITH.

